Monday, June 25, 2018

An American casualty of Trump's Trade War


That oversized symbol of American manufacturing Harley-Davidson has decided to shift production overseas rather than pay and pass on to buyers the cost of Trump's tariff.
Harley-Davidson, the American motorcycle manufacturer, said on Monday that it would shift some production of its iconic bikes overseas to avoid retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union in response to President Trump’s trade moves.

The decision, announced in a public filing, is the latest and most high-profile example of how Mr. Trump’s trade war is beginning to ripple through the United States economy as domestic companies begin struggling with a cascade of tariffs both here and abroad. While Mr. Trump says his trade policy is aimed at reviving domestic manufacturing, Harley-Davidson’s decision shows how the administration’s moves could have the unintended effect of reducing employment and economic growth in the United States.

Last week, the European Union hit back against Mr. Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs with penalties on $3.2 billion worth of American products, including bourbon, orange juice, playing cards and Harley-Davidsons. On Monday, the Wisconsin-based company said that European tariffs on its motorcycles had increased to 31 percent from 6 percent and estimated that would add about $2,200, on average, to every motorcycle exported from the United States to the bloc.

Rather than pass that cost along, the company said it would shift production to its overseas facilities to avoid the European Union tariffs.

“Harley-Davidson believes the tremendous cost increase, if passed on to its dealers and retail customers, would have an immediate and lasting detrimental impact to its business in the region, reducing customer access to Harley-Davidson products and negatively impacting the sustainability of its dealers’ businesses,” the company said in the filing.

Harley’s decision carries huge significance given Mr. Trump’s frequent championing of the Wisconsin company as an American icon and a successful American manufacturer that is creating jobs in the United States. Mr. Trump hosted Harley-Davidson executives at the White House in February 2017, where he called the firm a “true American icon” and thanked it “for building things in America.”
Such bigly winning! How on earth can the MAGAts and Deplorables stand it.

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